March 18-20, 2013

March 18th - The staff prepared breakfast for the group but Carl and I missed it. We did domestic stuff all day and then went to "Capone's Dinner Theater".  It was a buffet dinner and all you could drink too.  Lot's of laughs at the show.  Fun!!

March 19th was a travel day from Orlando to Titusville.  About  57 miles.  Easy uneventful drive.  After arriving we took the car to the Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and then watched an Atlas V rocket launch from the beach north of the launch. The Hall of fame had more information on astronauts than anyone could digest in one day. Much interesting stuff.  At the wildlife refuge we finally saw the elusive manatee.  (we did see 2 in a tank at Epcot) We saw 1 in one location and 2 in another.  I was quite happy.  The rocket launch just happened to be the day we arrived.  We were as close as we could be but did not have the telephoto lens or binoculars.  Still exciting to be there.

Sorry about no telephoto but that really is a rocket taking off.

 

March 20th - We went to the Kennedy Space Center and spent the whole day.  They have a Shuttle launch simulator.  Kind of like an amusement park ride.  Fun and educational.  I most enjoyed the IMAX film on the space station.  We went there when our kids were small, so say 28 years ago, it has changed quite a bit.  Very well done.  More kid friendly and a little more touristy.

Saturn V rocket.  Larges rocket ever made.  Sent Apollo astronauts to the moon.

This is where we watched the rocket launch but I can't move the photo to the previous day.?

 

 

They are building a place for shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center similar to what we have for Shuttle Discovery in Los Angeles.  Was scheduled to be open in March but not open till June 2013.